Forgiveness is Earned
by QueenPersephoneofHades
Summary: Natasha Romanoff is by far the most interesting woman Bruce Banner has ever met.


The Black Widow is by far the most interesting woman Bruce Banner has ever met in his life.

And that's not because she's a Russian super-spy (okay, that's part of it, but whatever).

Most people – including his loving ex-girlfriend – had drawn away from him – if momentarily – after seeing him transform the first time, after seeing the beast freed and out of control.

The Other Guy hadn't just caused mayhem and destruction all across the Helicarrier; he'd targeted Natasha specifically, chased her all the way to the other side of the maintenance level, and nearly sent her flying through a metal wall, possibly into open air.

But the next time he saw her, she hadn't seemed at all fazed; aside from mentioning vaguely that the Other Guy – _he _– was worse than an alien invasion, she'd simply smirked and admitted, "We could use a little worse."

It was… odd, to say the least. Anyone else – except for Tony, because apparently Stark had a death wish – would never have been so light-hearted with him after he'd nearly killed them.

He decided to think of it later – if there was a later. There was still an invasion going on – and so returned to the matter at hand, transforming in a controlled environment and proceeding to rip half of the Chitauri army a new one. A really big new one.

He was jumping all over the place, pummeling the tiny creatures left and right, smashing them with his fists and tearing apart their large space whales as if they were made of tissue paper – he vaguely recalls fighting alongside Thor, briefly, but he can't be sure it really happened that way – until something happens to the glowing portal in the sky, it contracts until nothing is left of it and the remnants of the army collapse into pathetic heaps, and then Iron Man falls from the sky and he catches him, saves him, more than once, and finally, after Tony is alive and they all regroup and Loki is arrested, he shrinks back to normal and sways on his feet, exhausted, more tired than he's ever been, and he goes to lean on a wall and try to sort through the Other Guy's memories-

-and it takes him a second to register the slim frame beside him. Natasha is suddenly there, supporting him, slipping his arm over her shoulder and not-so-gently dragging him over to a sizable piece of rubble to sit on.

He blinks wearily, not expecting the action but grateful for it nonetheless, and doesn't protest as she unceremoniously dumps him on the bit of concrete that now serves as a chair for him.

"What-" he starts, only for his voice to give out momentarily – _Lord_ did the Other Guy like to _shout_ – and she disappears from his side for about thirty seconds before reappearing out of nowhere with a glass of water – probably from Stark's bar – that she hands to him without preamble.

"Drink," she orders.

He sees no reason to resist, and is too thirsty to anyway, so he gulps the clear liquid down for a long minute, coughing a bit once finished. "What's up with you?" he manages to ask, though his voice still sounds gravelly and weird.

Natasha has never actually been _rude t_o him before – actually quite the opposite; probably so S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't come off as the bad guys this time – but her attending to him after a huge battle just happened when she's probably injured and his other half tried to murder her earlier is, frankly, a bit nuts.

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Would you rather I leave you to yourself, Dr. Banner?" she asked, clearly baiting him.

He shifts a bit uncomfortably. "Well… I-" he reaches up, gestures uselessly to the darkening bruise he knows came from his – the Other Guy's – blow.

"I'm sorry," he blurts out, shame wallowing in his stomach, and _oh _he's already exhausted, please don't make him deal with emotions right now, not when he's tired and can't buffer them properly- "I'm sorry I tried to hurt you. I never meant-"

She doesn't shush him – a more sensitive woman like Betty probably would have done that – no, no, she _laughs _at him.

It's more of a chuckle, but it's enough to shut him up.

"Relax, Doctor," she says, and there's a slight up-tilt to her lips that wasn't there before, "I don't blame you for this. It wasn't your fault, and, anyway, it would be hypocritical of me to judge you for losing control of your anger."

His mouth shuts, and he blinks incredulously at her without a word.

She just offers him that little almost-smile, lightly taps his hand with her fingers as if to assure him that all is really forgiven, before getting to her feet and ambling away, one arm wrapped around her ribs and slightest limp in her left leg.

Guilt still swirls in his stomach – it never really goes away, ever – but it's lesser now, not as all-consuming, and when he can finally muster the strength to stand he immediately decides to return the favor and take a look at Natasha's injuries – and the rest of the Team's, if they're not set on hiding them until after they get shwarma.

Yes, Natasha Romanoff is interesting – not many people can forgive the Hulk – and Bruce is incredibly grateful for it.

* * *

**A/N:… so. um. I don't know where this came from. I recently jumped aboard the BruceNat ship, and their dynamic is really interesting and I wanted to try and write it. I don't think I succeeded, but IDK. Hope you enjoyed~!  
~Persephone**


End file.
